[Sanek]

Is there a easy way to make a custom launcher for your Eduke32 project? Like the one for Ion Maiden, but for Duke3D port (and 32 bit)? There's a couple of things that I didn't need in the project of mine, such as polymer and autoload functions, as well as picture on the left side. I don't need to turn these functions off the port itself, just hide it so you can't turn it on. And no, telling players to disable the polymer doesn't sound like a solution.

I know that there's a way to make a custom launcher. In fact, one very well-known author did this a couple of times, and he knows ho to make it. But I just want to ask about it directly and not try to get what I want in a way that port's makers don't like or approve (unless there's no other option). I guess many of you who make mods would like to have a custom launcher, isn't it?

[Perro Seco]

I'm also interested on this since I saw it in DNF 2013. It can't be something related with CON because it starts before compiling the files, so maybe it's hardcoded inside EDuke32.

Sanek, on 09 October 2018 - 04:50 PM, said:

And no, telling players to disable the polymer doesn't sound like a solution.

You can use this to check what rendering mode is being used: https://wiki.eduke32.com/wiki/Rendmode

And if its value is 4, then you can show an image or text on screen suggesting not to use Polymer. Is not a great solution, but maybe you can avoid some people to use it.

[Hendricks266]

All custom "launchers" use Resource Hacker to edit the GUI manifest data embedded in the exe to delete widgets and change window sizes.

[Sanek]

So...there's nothing wrong with hacking the launcher?

[icecoldduke]

Hendricks266, on 10 October 2018 - 01:38 PM, said:

All custom "launchers" use Resource Hacker to edit the GUI manifest data embedded in the exe to delete widgets and change window sizes.

Might be worth moving the splash art out into a external file so its easier for people to edit.

[Hendricks266]

Sanek, on 11 October 2018 - 02:40 AM, said:

So...there's nothing wrong with hacking the launcher?

As long as your mod can still run perfectly if you drop in an unmodified eduke32.exe, I can't find any fault with hacking the startup window.

Once you start demanding to remove items from the menu to handicap protect users from their own curiosity, we'll have a problem.

icecoldduke, on 11 October 2018 - 02:33 PM, said:

Might be worth moving the splash art out into a external file so its easier for people to edit.

The proper thing to do is provide modding capabilities to customize things like this without needing to touch the exe or any of the materials that come with it, at all.

[Mark]

Yeah, like grabbag.ogg in the main folder will automatically play instead of the original inside the GRP file. Do that for menu and title screens. No defs needed.